| WIKI | FAQ | Tech FAQ | |
 http://csua.com/feed/ | |
| ||||||
| 11/23 |
| 2012/4/28-6/4 [Recreation/House] UID:54373 Activity:nil |
4/27 I'm looking for an inexpensive sofa bed (small, for 1-2 people tops).
Ikea's stuff is a bit TOO cheap. Any recommendations for similar
stores that may have slightly higher quality goods? I'm in SoCal
if it makes a difference. Thanks.
\_ ikea << sears << bed bath and beyond = crate and barrel << macys
that is as far as i have gotten |
| 2008/3/9-11 [Recreation/House] UID:49394 Activity:nil |
3/9 This is hilarious: --psb
Danes dissed by IKEA.
http://tinyurl.com/yvwwpu [daily mail]
\_ Daily Mail? Ugh.
\_ funny, thanks! |
| 2007/12/9-13 [Reference/RealEstate, Recreation/House] UID:48769 Activity:moderate |
12/9 I live in a house with lots of windows. The windows are all single
pane, I don't feel very insulatled. It's pretty cold in here.
What are some things I can do? Is there some sort of clear plastic
sheeting I can buy that I can seal the windows with?
\_ You rent/lease?
\_ rent. yes. i rent.
\_ Yes, there's shrink-wrap stuff you can get at a decent hardware
store.
\_ Turn on the heater? Hang some drapes? My house is the same way
and unless you live in a very cold climate I wouldn't waste
money "upgrading" my windows to dual pane anyway.
\_ Wear warmer clothes while inside. Its the cheapest/simplest way to
solve the problem. Seriously, if you live in California winter is
relatively short and not really all that cold. -ERic
\_ Agreed. I upgraded my windows mostly because my wife wanted the
better look. -- yuen
\_ Are you still getting laid?
\_ I own my house. Don't waste money upgrading to double-pane window
if all you care is winter and your walls and celing are not
well-insulated. I upgraded mine to high-quality double-pane
(Anlin). They worked very well in summer in keeping the house not
too hot by blocking the heat and only letting through light.
However they did nothing in keeping the house warm in winter. The
windows them selves are fine, in that there is no condensation and
they don't feel like a fridge comapred to the old windows. But my
windows themselves are fine, in that there is no condensation and
they don't feel like a fridge compared to the old windows. But my
poorly-insulated walls and celing cover a much larger surface area,
and they are the ones that lose heat to the outside.
and they are the ones that lose heat to the outside. (Both
comparisons were done without using A/C or heater.) -- yuen
\_ I am in a similar situation. When I bought my house, I
replaced everything to dual pane window, Milgard, including
a sliding door to the backyard, for about 7k. In the summer
my house is very cool (partly due to the window, partly due
to the insulated metal roof), but in the winter it's cold.
Not a lot of solar energy penetrating through the roof, and
walls are not insulated and attic has only R13. You get the
best hang for your buck adding insulation to the attic.
Probably about 1.5k for a R30 blown-in, then the windows,
and then the walls if you want your house to be more energy
efficient. If you plan to be there for a while, then it is
wise to do something about it. My city (Santa Clara) has a
free energy audit, you may get something similar where the
inspector can tell you what's the most bang for the buck
for your house.
\_ I guess Your Mileage May Vary, but my dual-pane windows
seem to've cut at least 30% from the heating bill while
allowing a few more degrees of heat to be kept in the
house. Albuquerque, NM.
\_ The rest of your house must be very well insulated. Even
dual pane glass filled with gas insulates poorly compared
to insulation in the walls and attic. One advantage of
dual pane is that it better blocks noise, but if you care
mostly about noise (and appearance, since dual pane looks
terrible) then go for insulated glass, which is what I
had installed. It is two sheets of glass stuck together
with a film between them (so still "dual pane" in that
sense). It blocks noise better and the glass is still
relatively thin so you don't have that ugly "dual pane"
look. They don't insulate as well as argon-filled
windows, but I didn't care about that much.
\_ My wife got the dual pane argon filled windows and also had
insulation blown into the ceiling. I don't think it was worth
it in energy cost savings, but the heating bill is much lower,
the house doesn't feel as cold (less draft from the windows) and
most importantly, it is much quieter. The latter is important
when you live in a city. It was worth the cost to me for the last
improvement alone.
\_ One of the reasons why I'll never live with my parents is
they always want open windows regardless of how cold/hot it
is. They think they'll suffocate and die. Ditto with A/C and
heater in the car. I really don't enjoy being with my
parents. How about you guys? -Chinese guy
\_ My in-laws are not Chinese and they always open the windows
to the house and the car, too. It drives me nuts. I
especially hate the car window open with the wind blowing in my
face, the smell of exhaust, and road noise. Why do it when the
car A/C works just fine?!
\_ Are they from the "old" generation (pre-AC generation)
and are scared because friends/family members died from
carbon monoxide poisoning? -ditto guy
\_ My in-laws are the opposite. They always keeps the windows
in the house shut. They don't even like turning on the hood
when cooking (not that it'd do much with all the windows
shut, but still.) They still don't open the windows when
they have cold or flu, so diseases always spread in the
house. Drives me nuts. -- Chinese with Chinese in-laws. |
| 2007/10/10-12 [Recreation/House] UID:48279 Activity:nil |
10/10 Forget about copper and fiber optic, go plants!
http://www.csua.org/u/joy (Yahoo! News) |
| 2007/7/10-16 [Recreation/House, Transportation/Airplane] UID:47244 Activity:nil |
7/10 http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/10/flying.lawn.chair.ap/index.html Walters had surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair. Walters paid a $1,500 penalty for violating air traffic rules. |
| 2006/10/13-14 [Politics/Foreign/Asia/India, Recreation/House] UID:44806 Activity:kinda low |
10/12 'One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the
army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."'
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/10/12/canada.troops.marijuana.reut/index.html
\_ Yet another reason I'd like to see pot legalized. I hate pot culture
and I think it's a stupid drug, but I think it would be great
to be able to grow huge pot plants to conceal my bunker from
aerial infrared photography. *sigh*.
\_ Yet another reason I'd like to see pot legalized. I hate pot
culture and I think it's a stupid drug, but I think it would
be great to be able to grow huge pot plants to conceal my
bunker from aerial infrared photography. *sigh*.
\_ FORESTS of pot plants?? And opium is the main cash export of
Afghanistan??
\_ Per pound/ounce, opium's a much better investment. Also, the
home-grown MJ industry here is widespread, whereas our opium
production is virtually non-existent. |
| 2006/9/4-5 [Recreation/House, Recreation/Woodworking] UID:44271 Activity:kinda low Cat_by:auto |
9/4 Help! Tar spilled all over, what's the best way to clean up?
\_ http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/utilityroom/stain%20removal%20tw.htm
\_ http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-remove-stains-from-clothing.htm
http://www.ehow.com/tips_877.html
\_ Turpentine. Careful, it'll strip paint too. -John
\_ Can I buy this at Home Depot? I looked on their web site and
they don't have it. However, they do have paint thinners. Are
they the same?
\_ Paint thinner is general a cheaper substitute for
turpentine (which is organic -- turpentine is just the
generic name of the substance.) I don't know what you're
trying to do, but I'd ask to see if they have something
that won't harm whatever you're trying to remove the
tar from. If it's real tar, you just want something
that is a solvent for mineral oil. -John
\_ I took apart my door panel to fix the rattle and had to
take out the plastic covering with sticky black tar
and it got all over the upholstery and I can't get it
out. I'm sure it's tar. I'll give paint thinner a try,
thanks so much!
\_ Might want to consider getting it cleaned. $$, but
you'll have someone to yell at... -John
\_ This might help: http://csua.org/u/gu1 |
| 2006/8/9-11 [Recreation/House, Reference/Law] UID:43953 Activity:nil Cat_by:auto |
8/9 Annoyed at ValPak's junk mail in your mail box? Now you can request
to be taken off online! This is similar to a previous post on
Advo's mailing list, but it is another company. Save the earth,
save the tree, and screw all junk mail companies now! It takes about
2-3 months but hopefully it'll work: "Valpak is mailed to 45 million
households in North America each month. Due to the extensive lead
times needed to produce and mail Valpak, you may receive additional
mailings over the next two or three months until your address is
removed from our mailing lists."
http://www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm
\_ I don't care about ValPak. How do I stop my local grocery stores
and those Pennysaver things? The fucking Post Office should be
forced to obey a "no bulk mail" list.
\_ You have to give your email address in order to unsubscribe from
their snail junk mail? I don't have a good feeling about it -tien
\_ I gave them my junk hotmail email address that I never use.
\_ Why would they require it at the first place? Maybe I am
pananoid but I am just not convinced that this page does
what it claims to do. -tien
\_ Yes. Every tree-hugging American can stop Valpak and save the
earth! Every little bit helps! Delusional crack-heads.
The Earth is doomed so long as humans exist. Period. The only
enviromentally-friendly move you can make is the one no beatnik
voluntarily does - commit suicide or at least get neutered.
\_ Suppose that you're an Orc, who lives in Mordor, and you hate
trees and all green growing things, and you want to Middle Earth
burn under a thousand years' of sooty flame. Wouldn't junk
mail still piss you off? Wouldn't it bother you just a tiny
bit when that big envelope you're hoping is a promotion from
the Dark Lord turns out to be another ad?
\_ Sure let's all drive SUVs and reproduce 8-12 kids a family.
While you're at it why don't we all smoke and drink till we
die early so that we will stop polluting the earth. Hell
why not drop the bomb that we'll all stop polluting. Fuck
the earth. Whatever, you fuck tard.
\_ Not making more Americans is probably the most environmentally
conscious thing someone can do in this country.
\_ explain that to the Republicans who over-reproduce the
Democrats by almost 2 to 1
\- i came across this interesting [assuming true] statistic:
We use about one-sixth of our electricity to cool
ourselves. That's more than the total electricity
consumption of India ...
\_ So what? The only bad thing about it is that we're spewing
hazardous byproducts. If we can just figure out how to
produce the energy in a manner which is only hazardous to
ourselves, there's no problem. Clean production is a much
bigger long-term win than conservation.
\_ One could even argue that the SUV driving republican
morons are actually helping develop clean production,
since they'll raise the profitability of sustainable
production by bringing the crisis on sooner.
\_ One could argue that, but one would sound like a
complete idiot. -tom
\_ Hypothetically, if one were to sound like a
complete idiot, one would have come to the
right place posting one's arguement on the CSUA
motd.
\_ its not really an issue of not making more americans -- US
population growth would be stagnant if not for the immigrants
(thats another story). The real huge problem is all the other
countries who are trying to be like americans. The
modernization of the third world and all.
\_ Hence the need to kill everyone. But no one wants to
start with themselves. Yes, you'll say why don't I.
But I'm not a hippie-commie. I'm damn glad to be popping
out as many kids as I can.
\_ thats no solution. The people who are willing to kill
themselves die, leaving the problem people behind to
reproduce at will and muck things up. You have to
kill yourself in the process of killing many others.
\_ Durka Durka Eco-Jihad!
\_ Knowing this, you should not kill yourself. The
problem people reproduce much faster than you can
destroy them. Eventually their police-state
apparatus will eliminate you in your work.
Our best hope is a biological superweapon a la
12 Monkeys. Our research is promising my brothers.
\_ Or you can sit in your windowless basement room
with the lights off watching 12 Monkeys until
you no longer care.
\_ Immigration & the modernization of other countries are
not things I have direct control over. Not knocking
someone up is something I have direct control over.
\_ I like ValPak. -proud American |
| 11/23 |
| 2006/7/20-22 [Recreation/House, Reference/Law] UID:43750 Activity:nil Cat_by:auto |
7/20 Annoyed at ADVO's junk mail in your mail box? Now you can request
to be taken off online!
http://www.advo.com/consumersupport.html |
| 2006/3/31-4/1 [Recreation/House] UID:42572 Activity:nil 88%like:42554 |
3/30 http://tinyurl.com/etle6 (infosthetics.com) Cool map as the carpet |
| 2006/3/30-31 [Recreation/House] UID:42554 Activity:nil 88%like:42572 |
3/30 http://infosthetics.com/archives/2006/03/flying_carpet_geographical_map.html Cool map as the carpet |
| 2006/3/22-23 [Recreation/House] UID:42378 Activity:high |
3/22 John, did you ever cut your tatamis? Got a picture of your J-style
tea room?
_,. ___. .
____ ,._ --=:_ *: ======((|_L]_ \\
c:____]((=- :* _:=- - - - - `' (__(____) \\
/ // ___ `' ,._ \\___.
/ // _/_/_]=== :* _:=-- ,. ___. _((|_L]_
_/ //_.(_(_)(_).. `' --=: *: ======((|_L]_ _/(__(\_ _)\_
\_ i'll tatami YOUR tea room
\_ I'm not tatami guy--I never got around to buying any. It's
sort of an ongoing intention (didn't I ask a question about
them somewhere in 2002?!?) -John
_,. ___. .
____ ,._ --=:_ *: ======((|_L]_ \\
c:____]((=- :* _:=- - - - - `' (__(____) \\
/ // ___ `' ,._ \\___.
/ // _/_/_]=== :* _:=-- ,. ___. _((|_L]_
_/ //_.(_(_)(_).. `' --=: *: ======((|_L]_ _/(__(\_ _)\_
/____\_\ `.... `' (__(____)
\_ I see the tanks. What are the other objects on the far left and
right? One looks like an artillery piece. The other looks
futuristic.
\_ Release all 'Zig. -John |
| 2006/3/21-25 [Recreation/House] UID:42360 Activity:nil |
3/21 I bought 2 kotatsu heaters from eBay and mounted one on my desk and
another one on my coffee table. Total energy cost this winter for
me was only 30% of last year. I totally recommend using the kotatsu
heater instead of traditional heaters. -ichiban kotatsu-san convert
\_ http://www.sushicam.com/Journal%20entries/001230.php this one?
\_ Are you the flatulent Ionic Breeze guy? Seriously man, the Home
Shopping Network is ruining your life. Change the damn channel!
\_ I don't think American channels sell kotatsu. The average
American male won't even fit a kotatsu meant for 2 Japanese
grown-ups..
\_ I bought a heavy coat last year. Total enegy cost this winter is
0, just like it was last year.
\_ My wife uses a small blanket when watching TV. Ditto for energy
cost.
\_ You don't heat your house at all???
\_ Don't be ridiculous. My computer doubles as my space heater.
\_ But...unless your computer is imaginary, then your
energy cost is very unlikely to be zero.... </pedantic>
\_ I'm not the same guy. Welcome to the motd.
\_ You guys are going to give me a panic attack.
\_ BOO! -!pp
\_ I don't heat my house at all. In fact I leave the windows
open all but like 3-4 days a year. It's warm around here!
\_ Where do you live?
\_ I used to live in a house like this, in Berkeley: it
was a relatively small place, and it had been remodeled
in the 80's, so it had with modern insulation. There
was a little heater in the living room, but we never
used it. Now I live in an older, larger house in
Berkeley, and spend hundreds of dollars on heating
every winter. --!pp
\_ What's a few hundred dollars? I'm sure Bush's
generous tax cuts make it all worthwhile.
\_ http://www.bizarreingredients.co.uk/japan/a/heater/heater.htm
\_ Kotatsu looks cool. I can be finger-screwing my sister while we're
talking to our parents with a straight face.
\_ Sister as in nun or nurse or sibling ?
\_ Oh that is interesting ... that is essentially the technology
used in the common dining halls at tea houses up in the himalaya,
except the heater isnt electric, it is buring something.
\_ I still prefer the Kang, a northern China stone platform bed heated
by wood or coal. It's like a modern day hot stone spa treatment:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kang_bed-stove |
| 2006/2/24-27 [Recreation/House] UID:41994 Activity:kinda low |
2/23 Hello ascii tatami guy. I've built a BIGGER ascii tatami
mat, bigger than your tiny little microscopic 9'x9' tatami
mat. This is more proof that we have large American chinpoke
much bigger than your microscopic Japanese ones:
+---+---+ +---+---+
+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ Two different 12'x12x ascii tatami
| +---+ | | | | | | using 8 mats. These are BIGGER
+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+ than what you have.
+---+---+ +---+---+
\_ the arrangement on the right would probably not be used.
\_ indeed. four corners touch.
\_ you're odd
\_ stop lying. you don't know tatami. you only know dirty
carpets.
\_ only little japanese likes tatami.
japanese saying, "a peasant sleeps on one tatami, and so does
a shogun".
a shogun". (i.e. no matter how rich and powerful you are, you
can still occupy only one tatami when you sleep)
\_ what if you're really fat?
mongolian saying, "the heaven is my blanket, the earth my bed"
\_ american saying, "my sleep number is 11"
\_ americans not allowed to have sayings. you can only have
sayings when you have 1 millenium of history.
\_ americans not allowed to have sayings. you are only
qualified when you have 1 millenium of history.
\_ americans not allowed to have sayings. Minimum
qualification is 1 millenium of history.
\_ Eagles may fly, but weasels don't get sucked up jet
engines.
\_ There's an old saying in Tennesse -- I know it's in Texas,
\_ There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas,
it's probably in Tennessee -- that says fool me once,
shame on... shame on you. It fool me -- you can't get
fooled again.
\_ My tatami is bigger than yours! |
| 2006/2/22-27 [Recreation/House] UID:41949 Activity:low |
2/22 Hello, I have a tatami problem. I bought 2 tatami mats from
Marukai and I really liked them. I liked them so much that I
decided to buy a third one to cover up a 6'x9' area. The first
two I bought came in a box together and are soft and comfy
to step on. They're also heavier to lift. The third one however,
didn't come with a box and is really light weight, and feels
kind of hard and not as comfy to step on. I should have bought
them in pairs. No return/exchange policy. Is this tatami
inconsistency normal?
\_ If you didn't get any answer in 24 hours, why do you expect
to get answer now?
\_ Because I'm hoping a Japanese csua'er would know something
about it. It seems like no one knows/cares these days.
\_ Quick note: If you actually have time to worry about this
kind of bullshit then you probably have too much time
on your hands. I realize the Japanese fall into this
category (the Japanese are weird people who obssess over
everything, which is why their cars are generally more
reliable), but I think this is taking it a bit too far.
\_ Get over yourself, already; honestly, how much time does it
really take to think about this stuff? 2 short
discussions about home decoration don't amount to all that
much time, guy.
\_ what is tatami?
\_ Each mat is 3'x6' and you can lay them out any way you
want, the constraint is you don't want 4 corners to touch
each other since that is inauspicious. The following is an
example, you can build up any size you want with the
above constraint, recursively:
2 tatami 3 tatami 4.5 tatami
+---+ +-+---+ +-+---+
+---+ | +---+ | +-+-+
+---+ +-+---+ +-+-+ |
+---+-+
6'x6' 6'x9' 9'x9'
\_ Japanese for "rug", basically a soft mat. I don't even know why
someone would post this, it's a non-issue.
\_ More like Japanese for "floor." It's a soft mat that covers
parts of the floor you wouldn't want to wear your shoes on:
http://www.garden-gifts.com/images/tatamiroom.JPG
In a Japanese home, tatami rooms are traditionally where
you'd sleep. They usually come in 3'x6' rectangles.
\_ Do you mean 1X2 meters, or are these American made, or
do the Japanese use feet? I'm not trolling, I'm genuinely
curious to know if there's a non-SI unit being used in
Japan. The distiction is non-trivial if you're laying
out a big floor.
\_ Tatami mats predate SI. Traditionally they were
0.5 ken by 1 ken; the exact length of a "ken" varied
by time and place, though, so tatami sizes varied
too. Several slightly different sizes are still
in use. One common size is 0.91m x 1.82m, which
happens to be almost exactly 3' x 6'.
\_ I am in awe of your knowledge of Japanese metrological
history.
\_ eh, ok. So why don't they just use carpets?
\_ 1) Tradition, 2) tatami mats are easier to integrate
with the floor so that they don't move, and 3) tatami
mats are usually much easier to clean than carpet. |
| 2006/2/10-13 [Recreation/House] UID:41794 Activity:kinda low Cat_by:auto |
2/10 Has anyone bought tatami's to use in the living room or tea room?
How heavy are they and what are you thought? Thanks.
\_ one tatami
two tatami
three tatami
floor
\_ Yeah--they're not tremdously heavy (straw with rice filling if
made the "real" way); an average person should be able to lift
3-4 at a time without too much trouble (weight-wise; they're a bit
clumsily sized.) Make sure you plan it out well, as authentic
tatamis only come in 2 sizes (full or half) and they vary a lot
in quality and price. Best ask someone more familiar with
Japanese furniture for what to look for. -John
\_ my girlfriend sleeps in a tatami room. I can ask her when
she comes home sunday.
\_ Is she a HAWT AZN CHIX0R?
\_ My girlfriend has been sleeping like a big pig since
returning. I will ask her once she awakens from her
jet lag induced stupor.
time zone switching induced stupor.
\_ you can get real tatami's at http://www.dukaru.com , we actually
use them for sleeping, though. they were actually heavier than I
thought they would be, and are made with high quality.
\_ do they fit on a standard futon?
\_ you do know that all sort of parasites eventually live off
tatami, right? |
| 2006/2/6-7 [Recreation/House] UID:41721 Activity:nil |
2/6 Exterior House Paint: Anyone reccomend going with either
Kelley Moore or Benjamin Moore? Two of the firms I talked to so
far prefer KM saying that all in all its a better value eventhough
BM is more expensive/higher quaility; that only really matters
for interior painting. For exterior painting; I should save some $$
and use KM. Are they telling the truth? >-- thanks
\_ If your choice is only one of those then go with Benjamin
Moore. You say yourself it's higher quality (which it is).
Higher quality means easier to work with, better UV
resistance (color fading), and so on. The difference per
gallon can't be much, so why mess with cheap paint? I used
Dunn-Edwards for my house, but I know Sherwin-Williams,
Pratt & Lambert, and BM are all good paints.
\_ Behr Premium Plus (Home Depot brand) routinely wins consumer
testing thingies.
\_ Behr does not have a good reputation.
\_ Behr Premium Plus (Home Depot brand) routinely wins consumer testing
thingies. |
| 2006/1/18-20 [Recreation/House] UID:41421 Activity:nil |
1/18 Hello homeowners who have marble floors. I posted the following
message a few weeks ago:
http://csua.com/?entry=41190
I know the answer now. First of all water based cleaners don't
work well. Use the floor finish stripper and scrub your marbles
till it's clean. Assume the marble's flat and clean, coat it
using any "urethane fortified" solution. Some solutions
require proper mixture, read the instructions carefully.
Let it dry 30 min, and open all the windows unless you want
to get high. Repeat coating two more times. Viola! You now
have shiny looking, sealed marbles. |
| 2006/1/11-13 [Recreation/House] UID:41345 Activity:low |
1/11 Which store is better in terms of providing help to home improvement
idiots? Home Depot vs. Lowe's vs. Ace Hardware. My home needs a lot
of small fix-ups: a shower head I bought fits onto the water pipe of
one bathroom but not the other bathroom; I want to put braces on
cabinets for earthquake-proofing; the drain pipe from the dishwasher to
under the kitchen sink is leaking; I want to install motion-sensor on
the light at the entrance; the kitchen sink faucet is dripping; my
mailbox needs a lock. I think it all comes down to buying the correct
parts and accessories. Given hundreds of variations of those things,
I have no idea how. Thx.
\_ Avoid Lowe's. In my experience Lowe's is Home Depot but with
much less helpful staff. They won't help you with their saw
which you are not allowed to use for cutting lumber, they'll take
forever to help you get a key cut, and they'll give you bogus
information.
\_ don't go to ace and expect them to help you with anything. It's a
decent store if you already know what you're doing and already know
what you need to buy. If you don't know the correct terms and the
correct names for hardware, but try to explain what you need to the
floor staff, you will probably walk out of the store with the wrong
thing. I've had better luck at Home Depot, but you may have to be
lucky and find the right person on the floor. They've gotten worse
over time, but still tend to hire people who know what they're
doing.
\_ I've had the exact opposite experience. Keep in mind Ace is just
a branding of local hw stores, so if the store sucked before they
were an Ace, they probably won't improve much. At the local
Ace for us, there's like one helpful guy per (small) aisle, all
with headsets on. Someone (with clue!) asks you if you need
anything like every 5 minutes, and if they don't know, they pull
up the guy who does know on the headset and get you your answer
right then. I have never, ever, ever gotten a useful answer out
of anyone at Home Depot, and I can only find someone 1 in 3 tries.
--dbushong
\_ Anyone with experience at Dale Hardward in Fremont and Hayward
Ace Hardware? These are the two Ace stores closest to my
home. Thx. --- OP
\_ The owners of Dale Hardware are friends of my family.
I never had any issues with them, but haven't been there
in about 6 years. --scotsman
\_ Pete's Ace Hardware in Castro Valley isn't too much futher
from the Hayward one, and I've been very happy (but hey,
just try the Hayward one. It could be fine!) --dbushong
\_ Same here. The trick is often to identify the really useful
employees at Ace. Usually 1 or 2 people in a given store are
55-65 years old, semi-retired and have a lifetime of
experience in construction related fields and often know tons
of stuff about plumbing, wiring, etc. I usually hone in
on those types of people. They might be handymen as well.
The super independent stores are neat too, I've walked in
asking for some obscure part and have the guy give it to me
within 5 seconds where I would have spent an hour looking for
it at Home Depot. -eric
\_ The little stores *have* those parts. Places like Home
Depot, Lowe's, OSH and ACE don't even stock anything
but the most common stuff. I have a 1929 house and I
find all those stores mostly useless not only for
information but also for just plain finding what I
need. Of those, ACE and Tru-Value seem better, though,
followed by OSH. I avoid Home Depot and Lowe's unless
it's the middle of the night (HD is 24 hours) or what
I need is very common (e.g. weed killer, hammer). I
once needed a special bolt and no one had it. At least
the local independent hardware store guy knew the name
of a place that stocked only bolts, so this stuff can
get very specialized. I've found myself at electrical
supplies, plumbing houses, and commercial flooring and
tile places. That's where lots of the pros go,
although sadly even contractors are using HD and
Lowe's these days in order to save a few bucks.
\_ In general, I've had pretty good luck with OSH (in case you are
willing to consider stores other than the ones you listed).
\_ Ah, I forgot that one. There's one near my work. Thx. --- OP
\_ Yeah, I've found OSH to be somewhere in between. More selection
and slightly better prices than Ace, and significantly more
helpful than HD. --dbushong |
| 2006/1/11 [Recreation/House] UID:41340 Activity:nil |
1/11 Which store is better in terms of getting help for home improvement
idiots? Home Depot vs. Lowe's vs. Ace Hardware. |
| 2006/1/1-4 [Reference/RealEstate, Recreation/House] UID:41189 Activity:nil |
12/1 I just bought a 2-year old condo unit. What's the best way to clean,
seal, and polish flat marbles to semi-glossy in the kitchen and
bathroom (which by the way has a little bit of pee stains)?
Also the granite in the shower-room could use a bit
of work too. I went to Home Depot but it's a bit confusing
given that they have hundreds of solutions to use. Any
advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Happy New Year!
\_ ObHousingBubbleTalk |
| 2005/11/5-8 [Recreation/House] UID:40456 Activity:nil |
11/5 http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051104/od_nm/glue_dc An electrical engineer's butt got stuck on Home Depot's toilet, sues. |
| 2005/8/18-20 [Recreation/House] UID:39161 Activity:low |
8/18 I'm putting up a wall in my house. I've already built the frame
using mexican studs and I'm ready to put in 2 drywalls. The edges of
the dry walls are tapered, so when I put 2 drywalls together
they concave in. Do I simply fill them up using the gap filler,
or the general purpose spackling paste? It would take a LOT of
paste to make them look straight, so I'm probably not doing
this correctly? Help.
\_ Can you post some pics? This may help us remedy the situation.
\_ Ok so the dry wall looks like this:
-----------+ +-----------
___________/ \___________
^ Is this where I put the tape and fill it?
\_ Yes, but why is it tapered? I did drywall
and the board was not tapered like that.
\_ Some drywall is. It's no big deal, just
slap a bunch of mud in there (enough that
it's overflowing), put joint tape over it,
then flatten the whole thing out with
another thin layer of mud. It looks nice
when done well. -tom
\_ So, mud=joint compond=spackling paste=
plaster? They all refer to the same
thing?
\_ No. Mud=joint compound, which is
what you want to use. Spackle
and plaster are different (and
different from each other).
\_ It's the same stuff you should
be using to cover over the nails
in the dry wall.
\_ You use joint compound and joint tape. Just slather it on there.
-tom
\_ after that, you might want to put (spray) wall texture to match
your existing walls.
\_ Mexican Studs? What, you aren't willing to pay a decent wage
so the American Studs will take the job?
\_ It's for Latino porn. |
| 2005/7/8-10 [Recreation/House] UID:38483 Activity:nil |
7/8 What exactly is a paint primer? I know it is something you put on
before painting a real coat. Is it a thick coat of clear paint
that covers up little holes? Or is it pure white so that it covers
up imperfections on the surface?
\_ No, it is more like whitewash. It is a cheaper coat that helps
the paint stick.
\_ Primer is a paint that has better adhesion capabilities. It
can be tinted any color, although it is usually white or gray if
you don't have it tinted. It does help the paint stick and
can help provide better color saturation, but primarily its
bonding characteristics with the unpainted surface are why it
is used.
\_ Home Depot sells paint that says "primary not needed." Are those good?
How about automobile paint shops, do they use primers? How do they make
the surface shinny?
\_ Home Depot sells paint that says "primary not needed." Are those
good? How about automobile paint shops, do they use primers?
How do they make the surface shinny?
\_ It depends on the surface you're painting on whether primer
is necessary; if you're painting on metal, it's probably a
good idea to use primer even if the paint says no primer
needed. The shiny surface is just some number of glossy
clear coats. -tom
\_ Auto body shops do use primer, but it's not why the
surface is glossy. I suggest you avoid Home Depot and
go to a real paint store. If you use primer you will
always get the best results whether it was 'necessary'
or not. |
| 2005/4/26-27 [Recreation/House] UID:37371 Activity:moderate |
4/26 I like wall-to-wall carpeting. do you?
\_ I prefer hardwood (or bamboo) flooring with separate carpets
\_ my new appt has bamboo floors. are they functionally any different from
traditional hardwood floors?
\_ my new appt has bamboo floors. are they functionally any
different from traditional hardwood floors?
\_ cheaper? more easily renewable resource.
\_ Is that like round bamboo sticks all lined up? or is it a
flat surface? if they're round i'd think the channels could
collect stuff which seems harder to clean.
\_ I'm considering these. Renewable is a big plus. And, they
are flat. They are like normal hardwood.
\_ No. Real hardwood with throw rugs is the way to go.
\_ Not if you have kids. My son just turns one, and the carpet in my
home is already full of stains.
\_ No. Carpets are hard to clean.
\_ you should just shave her
\_ Knock knock
\_ I like laminate flooring (ie pergo). |
| 2005/3/11 [Recreation/House] UID:36655 Activity:high |
3/11 Sheetrock/drywall question again please. How much CAN I hang from
my ceiling, if I don't screw the screws into a stud, but I do use
one of those little contraptions that I fold up, push into the
hole in the ceiling, and once inserted it expands, and then I
connect the ceiling hook to that. (I bought it from Home Depot
in a section that sells devices to hang plants from ceilings).
Thanks.
\_ You can hang a lot when it's dry. When it's dry, it will fall
\_ You can hang a lot when it's dry. When it's wet, it will fall
apart. So if you do it, pray that your roof doesn't leak.
\_ Not a lot. Drywall is not very strong at all. You can find
inexpensive stud finders everywhere. You don't want things
hanging on the ceiling to fall down. I suspect after a while
you may even see the ceiling curve due to teh weight.
\_ Those drywall anchors are designed for WALLS not ceilings.
Don't hang anything from the drywall on the ceiling.
\_ I just weighed the light fixture I want to install
and it's 5 pounds. Do you still think that's too
heavy? I'm not trying to be argumentative; I'm just
trying to find a way to hang it from the hooks
I've bought. thanks. -op
\_ screw it into a stud, you dipshit
\_ the reason I don't want to bother finding a
a stud is because I need the light in a very
specific place. if there's a stud there, great,
but if not, then the light is going there
regardless.
\_ then you have to install framing above your
ceiling for it. -tom
\_ Can you use an LED (I think that's what they
are) or one of those little halogen lights
mounted in the ceiling? They don't weigh a lot
and give a lot of light... -John
\_ There are electrical boxes made to hang in
the space between the studs. You either need
to use a stud, frame between studs, or buy
one of these devices. Hire an electrician
and he can do all of this for 1 hour's
wages ($50-80) and you can be sure it will
be secure. |
| 2005/3/9-10 [Recreation/House, Recreation/Woodworking] UID:36606 Activity:high |
3/9 What are most modern walls, specifically ceilings, built
from? Is it sheet rock? I'm wondering because I have to hang
a light fixture (~10 lbs) from my ceiling, and it looks like
I have to drill into it.
\_ Yes, sheetrock since the 1950s or so.
\_ Ummm... Almost certainly sheetrock. Don't hang a light fixture
from sheet rock, find a stud.
\_ God, the term is DRY WALL. "Sheetrock" is an irritating brand
name made into a neologism, like "Xerox."
\_ Hey, could you Xerox this for me? Thanks
\_ sure, I'll just go to my local LDS church and xerox it
FOR FREE because they're so rich.
\_ You need a Kleenex for all your crying.
\_ Ceiling might be asbestos. Is it "cottage cheese" style? You
DON'T want to drill into that.
\_ SODOMIZE ASPOLITO!!!
\_ Doesn't asbsestos cause cancer?
\_ Wipe your tears with a Kleenex, pussy boy. |
| 2005/1/21-22 [Recreation/House] UID:35843 Activity:kinda low |
1/21 I want to grow some tomatoes this summer but haven't done so before.
The variety I want is 'Black Prince' which is '70 days, indeterminate'
When should I plant the seeds in the little germination pots? This is
for growing in the SFBA. Thanks.
\_ In California you can grow tomatoes year-round. Start them
indoors if you can. Heck, I have even grown them on a window
sill. Digitalseed says plant seeds March-July, with April and May
being optimal.
\_ Ignore the above. Plant any time you are sure nights wont get
below 50. Temperatures lower than that can really hurt a maturing
plant. Even one night can be bad for the plants. They wont die
but they will take longer to grow to maturity. Longer than if you
had just waited till the temperatures got warmer. If you know
what you are doing you can shelter them in a variety of ways to
get them to grow earlier but I'd stick with the basics. Remember
good tomatoes need insane amounts of sun and rich soil. Also water
them really well at first, but cut way back on the water once the
tomatoes start getting ripe. The secret to firm tomatoes is don't
overwater. Oh and may I suggest planting at least one Early Girl?
\_ You're an idiot. -tom
\_ Yes, ignore Digitalseed. What do they know over an anonymous
motd poster? Plant April or May and the above is moot.
\_ Why (besides faster gratification) the Early Girl? Black Prince
tastes like salami! -op
\_ Dude, you can grow stuff that tastes like salami? That's
awesome. Do you know of any eggplant or lettuce variants
that taste like mozzarella or beer? -John
\_ Well it basically tastes like tomato, but there's a strong
meaty-earthy-savory flavor that reminds me of salami. All
ripe tomatoes contain glutamate (the 'savory' taste
chemical) but these probably have more than most. |
| 2005/1/13-14 [Recreation/House] UID:35699 Activity:kinda low |
1/13 I need to replace my water heater. Anyone got any recommended
plumbers in the south bay? Thanks.
\_ Go to HomeDepot and the 5-year warranty model. They will set
you up with a reliable plumber.
\_ This is bad advice, but I cannot recommend a plumber in
this area. FWIW, this is something almost anyone can do
unless you want to go tankless. |
| 2004/11/9 [Recreation/House, Reference/BayArea, Computer/SW/Languages/C_Cplusplus] UID:34774 Activity:nil |
11/09 I need to find a storage place in south bay for lots of books and also
some furniture and electronics. To save money, I prefer a non-A/C
place. Should I worry about moisture damange? Does it matter
if it is ground floor or up? Thanks. |
| 2004/4/7-8 [Recreation/House] UID:13071 Activity:nil |
4/7 Cool (furniture related) designs: http://mocoloco.com |
| 2004/2/6-7 [Reference/RealEstate, Recreation/House] UID:12128 Activity:moderate |
2/6 Anyone have experience with taking a former landlord to Small Claims
Court? I just got our itemized statement of damages from moving out
of our old place, and the landlord is including $1750 for complete
carpet replacement. The carpets did *NOT* need to be replaced --
they weren't pristine when we moved out (wear in high-traffic areas,
small stains), but they weren't pristine when we moved in, either.
Unfortunately, pre-existing carpet problems weren't something I noted
during our move-in walkthrough, and the carpet wasn't discussed during
our move-out walkthrough, either (beyond the understanding that the
\- this is what you should base your claim on. it is ipso facto
unreasonable not to mention a $1000 item at the joint walk
through. you willl certainly win if the fact you state are
accurate. you may be able to get "jerk around" damages.
since you are out of the country, this will be an asspain of
course. i would write the landlord a demand letter [which will
improve your case too] and have it sent from a usa address.
be sure to specify a time by which you want a reply ... say
two weeks. --psb
last thing I'd do before I left would be to steam-clean the carpets).
I can present witnesses (friends who helped us move) to attest to the
condition of the carpets on move-in, but given my lack of backing
paperwork, am I pretty much screwed?
\_ Got pictures? Got a receipt for the steam cleaning? And more
important than any evidence, do you live in Berkeley or San
important than any evidence, do you live in Berkeley of San
Francisco? If so, then you should always take your landlord to
court, no matter how right s/he is because you'll probably win
despite all evidence to the contrary. BTW, $1750 is pretty
fuck cheap carpet. I'd want to see the billing statement showing
the bastards even put new carpet in. Death to landlords and other
property owning scum! The earth belongs to us all.
\_ I lived in San Jose. Unfortunately, now I'm overseas (so I
pretty much knew the answer to the "Am I screwed?" question
before I asked here). When you're talking about average lowball
carpet, how much *should* it cost to buy and install n sq. yards
of new carpet? (Believe me, if it weren't cheap, my landlord
wouldn't be putting it in. That was part of the problem with
the *old* carpet.) -- OP
\_ Unless they have proof of damage, you shouldn't be charged. Normal
wear-and-tear doesn't count. Damage would be torn, stained, rust
or oil stains, burned, etc. In your case, the question is how
stained was the carpet and how large and how many were there?
It would also help to know which city you're in. If you didn't
mention stains on the move-in or have photos, you're not in a
good spot.
\_ Landlord just wants a sap to fall for this trap and buy
free carpet for him/her. Don't fall for it. Fight! Fight!
Fight! Maybe you can counter-sue for lost wages, etc.
\_ your landlord sounds like my old landlord. Is she russian? was
your apt between haste and channing? anyway, i went back to her
and asked nicely and she gave some of my money back. don't know
Fight! Maybe you can counter-sue for lost wages, etc.
if it will work now though. |
| 2004/1/15-16 [Recreation/House] UID:11797 Activity:nil |
1/14 Is it better to have an arm rest on your chair? Without it I have
no palce to put my arms, but with it sometimes it gets in the way.
\_ better with. lets your shoulders rest
\_ better without. When resting your arms, let them hang down at the
sides. If you rest your arms *while* typing, you're cutting
circulation to your hands while exercising, which makes RSI much more
likely. I've helped several people who have had RSI by 1) showing
them stretches for their arms, 2) adjusting their chair, 3) buying
these: http://www.mousemitt.com/wrist.html and 4) removing the
armrests.
\_ Ergonomics expert: what is the medically correct rule for chair
adjustment?
\_ sorry, but I'm a bit weird maybe. i like a chair with 1 arm rest
on the left. the one on the right tends to get in the way while the
left one provides a tiny amount of support at my elbow but not
enough to cut off circulation or anything like that. typing for
about 25 years now with no signs of RSI or anything else. |
| 2004/1/6 [Recreation/House] UID:11672 Activity:nil |
1/5 Am I supposed to give tips to moving company employees who do the
final delivery and assembly of my furniture?
\_ I used to do this job. It's not fucking hard to do, but it's
really hard to find decent people to do it for some reason.
Don't take any shit from them. just don't give them a tip unless
they do their job properly.
Me and my buddy who used to do this would pull up at exactly the
time we were supposed to, roll out of the van running, take our
shoes off so as not to fuck up the carpet, assemble the furniture
exactly where it was supposed to go, and get rid of our trash,
all without damaging anything. Once I had to go out on a delivery
with one of the other fucking clods who did it, and he wanted to
stop for donuts every ten minutes. show no mercy! give no tip
to hozers who do not deserve to call themselves delivery men!
if a "delivery man" earns a tip, give him one.
\_ Thanks for the answer, but how much should I give for a good
job? There will be 3 to 4 of them.
\_ it's not like waiting tables--there's not percentage based
tip algorithm. we dilivered to some *really* rich people,
and when they saw us sweating buckets but being polite and
doing a good job, they might give us as much as 20 dollars
each(there were always two of us), or they might give us
nothing. We also delivered to a lot of working class homes,
and were extremeley happy to get 5 bucks each or even just
a couple bucks if they looked poor. If you give them
five bucks each, and say "lunch money", they should be happy,
if they are true delivery men. that means they don't have to
pay for lunch. We were always happy with five bucks each.
it's too bad being a delivery man pays so bad; we were
damn good at it.
\_ minimum $20 each or they'll rape you, your dog, and your gf.
\_ That poor dog!
\_ On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you. |
| 2003/11/13-14 [Recreation/House] UID:11063 Activity:moderate |
11/13 Where I work we have a couple types of office chairs, both pretty
comfortable. They have a lever on one side that lets you raise
and lower the height, which makes sense. But in addition to that,
there's this crazy lever on all of them that spontaneously tilts the
seat forward, catapulting the user out of the chair. What the hell
is the point of this "eject lever?" I just don't get it.
\_ Eject, Maverick! Eject!
\_ use in case of "meeting going bad".. Eject!
\_ For meetings. You hit the other person's eject lever without
letting them hit yours.
\_ The lever adjusts the tilt of the seat pan. Very often, it's more
comfortable to work with the seat tilted slightly forward. Try
tilting a chair like that about 5-10 degrees forward down and using
it for a day. You might be surprised.
\_ ok, i'll try it. but some of the chairs also have a catapult
action of the *back* of the chair, which really launches people,
and is definitely more than a 10 degree action. I swear this
is some chair engineers' sick joke.
\_ I actually pitch my chair forward when I'm working
on small mechanical devices. Fixing motherboards,
working on small models, helps my back stay in a
good position.
\_ I pitch my chair forward the entire time I work at my desk.
It makes me sit high, so the monitor is tilted up. Also,
the keyboard is tilted horizontal or slightly backward.
It keeps the spine straight, and is good for the back.
\_ coitus |
| 2003/11/13-14 [Recreation/House] UID:11061 Activity:high |
11/13 When I grow up, I'm going to be a chair engineer.
\_ When? If. |
| 2003/8/6-7 [Academia/Berkeley/DailyCal, Recreation/House] UID:29258 Activity:low |
8/6 Where is a good place in Berkeley to buy high-quility used business
office furniture (file cabinets / chairs / desks / etc)?
\_ There used to be an ad everyday in the daily cal for a used
office furniture warehouse in Oakland or Emeryville. I really
miss the desk I bought ($30) from them. It wasn't big brandname
(think Vietnam era instead of <DEAD>dot.com<DEAD>), but very serviceable.
And the selection was pretty good.
\_ There's a Used Office Furniture Outlet on the 1400 block of
Park Ave in Emeryville.
\_ Is that "Interior Motions"?
\_ Berkeley Outlet, 711 Heinz Ave. I've found some great stuff
at quite good prices there... (steelcase, etc)
\_ Great, thanks. I think that's the one I'm looking for.
\_ UCB Excess & Salvage |
| 2003/3/19-20 [Reference/BayArea, Recreation/House] UID:27752 Activity:low |
3/19 Is anybody a bonsai expert or a manzanita expert here? Can manzanita
be used as a bonsai tree, or are they too difficult to keep? Thanks.
\_ near grand lake in oakland there is a bonsai garden and club
(in the park area) and they know a shitload about this stuff.
\_ Is that its exact name? I'm not in the bay area. -op
\_ dunno the name, I suspecta google search would
but then again a google seach would probably get you
the answer to your question in the first place.
\_ It's in Lakeside Park.
http://www.gsbf-bonsai.org/collectionnorth --scotsman
\_ All of your questions are answered in the Karate Kid, part I, II,
and III.
\_ The KK is my life's philosophy and source of guidance in dark
times.
\_ The "small" clipped manzanita plants I've seen are too large to be
considered bonsai. I think the leaf density isn't high enough to
keep the plant going. They are darned pretty though. |
| 2002/10/3-4 [Reference/RealEstate, Recreation/House] UID:26091 Activity:high |
10/3 I live in an apartment by a busy street and I hear the cars at night.
Would it help if I place an extra acrylic panel on my windows (which
I can get easily from Home Depot)?
\_ Use aluminum foil. Very classy. Your neighbors will love it.
\_ Dynamat. Not as wrinkled.
\_ You're missing out on a key element of the aluminum style. |
| 2002/9/17-18 [Recreation/House] UID:25918 Activity:very high |
9/17 Heavy technical question: I'd be grateful for suggestions on
setting up a weird-sized room with tatami mats. I have a room that
measures 335x353cm, but I gather tatamis only come in about 10 standard
sizes--I can't get any combination of the ones I find to really work,
and having them custom made isn't an option. Any ideas? -John
\_ INFIDEL! There is only ONE correct size for tatami!
\_ good choice! I love tatamis. I have a tatami king size bed. ;-)
My suggestion: use a saw and carefully cut them. Tatamis can be
cut. The edges won't look good but if you're careful you can
sew some covering on the edge so that it looks nicer. Besides,
you'll be putting the sawed edges against a wall, so that matters
less. Is this a for an exercise room? Tatamis are great for
meditation and doing light yoga exercises.
\_ Just sort of a "hey, we-have-an-extra-room-wouldn't-it-be-great-
for-storing-all-this-Japanese-stuff-we-have-room." I'll do
the below, as I'm scared of sawing them ($$$ over here.)
Thanks for the tips! -John
\_ put in a wooden border along the walls, whose border forms a
rectangle that would allow the largest configuration of tatamis. |
| 2002/9/6 [Computer/Networking, Recreation/House] UID:25785 Activity:nil |
9/5 anti-terrorist activity for sept. 11:
I'm going to stimulate the economy by installing 1000sq ft
of hardwood floor, get wireless network for home, wireless security
system for new home. New furniture and landscape backyard.
What are you guys going to do?
\_ Yermom.
\_ yermom smells.
\_ Take my grandfather out for his 90th birthday. "doh". -John |
| 2002/8/7 [Reference/Law, Recreation/House] UID:25514 Activity:nil Cat_by:auto |
8/6 Is there any way to prevent junk mass mailings from coming to your
residence? Like every day I get these Pennysaver, Mercury news values,
etc.
\_ Look for the inclusion slip, which usually has a "Have you seen me?"
missing kid photo. This will tell you which company is responsible.
It's usually somebody like "Advo". Find the company's info and have
them remove you from their list. I have done this at my last three
residences. Mail delivery staff don't alway pay attention to who they
should deliver to but doing this cut down this mail for me by about
80%. See http://www.obviously.com/junkmail for more details.
\_ maybe put a recycle box near your mailbox or where you sort
your mail.
\_ check out the Direct Marketing Association. I've been meaning to do
this. for a long time. Mail Preference Service (MPS) is supposed to
be effective. http://www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.html
\_ I did this and it helps with things like unsolicited catalogues,
but the other stuff is delivered to every house via the postman
and there is no way to stop it.
\_ The DMA MPS works very well for me. I also called the National
Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies to tell them not to sell my
credit info, ie. to "Opt-out". This stops all my credit card
offer mail. Their phone number is (800)353-0809 (but you should
verify it first.) I also call the catalog companies to remove
my address under my name or the previous tenants' names from
their lists. There are also other tips including how to stop
coupons and "have you seen me" cards at
http://www.idiom.com/~bryce/junkmail and
http://www.obviously.com/junkmail.html -- yuen |
| 2002/6/17-18 [Recreation/House] UID:25120 Activity:very high |
6/16 Home depot voting with its feet, and not doing business with the
Federal Gov't:
http://nandotimes.com/business/v-text/story/436842p-3497125c.html
They're trying to avoid 3 regulations listed in the article.
Seems sort of extreme --PeterM
\_ Desperate times call for desperate measures! We're at war, for
God's sake. If we can't be guaranteed to sell hardware and
plumbing equipment at our constituionally protected margins,
then the bad guys have won! If you're shopping at Lowes, you're
shopping with bin Laden.
\_ Can the federal govt sue Home Depot for discriminating against
the govt as customers?
\_ no. this isn't discrimination.
\_ This doesn't make any sense. There must be more to the story.
\_ The SF Comical said something brief about avoiding 3 laws that
"federal government contractors" have to follow regarding
affirmative action related stuff but didn't go into it. I'm
thinking some company lawyer made some exec panic and send a
memo.
\_ welcome to Dick Cheney's America.
\_ uh whatever.
\_ "If you are not with us, you are with the terrorists." -GWB
\_ Which has *nothing* to do with the article. You might as well
start off with, "I did not have sex with that woman... Lewinsky".
Same value to this thread. None.
\_ Home Depot is clearly with the terrorists.
\_ They won't sell to the government but I'll bet Ali or
Akbar could go in there and buy all the makings of a good
Kansas City style bomb. Think about that one.
\_ didn't admiral Akbar fight for the rebel
alliance at the battle of Endor?
\_ No. "Akbar" makes regular appearances with "Jeff"
in the "Life is Hell" comic. |
| 2002/5/1 [Science/GlobalWarming, Recreation/House] UID:24648 Activity:nil |
4/30 http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~wilensky/network-charging.html \_ isn't it ironic that as a professor who should be worried about papers, research, publications, and funding, wilensky has to deal with stupid administrative issues? \_ No. As someone who has staffed for Cal Professors it doesn't hurt to drag them into the real world every few years to remind them how resource allocation works beyond their office door. He didn't write this himself anyway. He told someone else to. \_ Further, it is his job as vice chair in this area --jon |
| 2002/3/20-21 [Recreation/House] UID:24173 Activity:high |
3/20 Anyone know a good place to buy tools, online or off? Home Depot
didn't have what I want.
\_ OSH, TruValue
\_ Orchard Supply Hardware? ACE? etc... there are more than the
big chains still around..
\_ http://amazon.com? sears?
\_ Home Depot is a terrible hardware store...why do people go there?
Orchard has the best tool selection around here. -tom
\_ if all you want to do is buy tools, yeah. home depot has
more of everything else.
\_ I have rarely found anything useful at home depot.
The Ace on Grand and OSH are both better. The Ace on
MLK is supposedly also good. -tom
\_ Hehehe, the ACE on San Pablo in Albany/ElCerrito...
hot chicks.
\_ Lowe's is the worst. OSH and home depot are both good. I get my
tools from a local store. some consider them a rip off, but i like
\_ http://Amazon.com, Coastal Tool, and Harbor Freight! --dim
\_ amazon is actually more expensive than home depot
\_ Maybe for some items. I bought a sawzall and an orbital sander
through Amazon for less than at Home Depot. Of course, the
OP said: "Home Depot didn't have what I want." --dim
razorback tools. tools are heavy so shipping costs are high and
online doesn't make too much sense (like dog food).
\_ Some sites (like http://amazon.com) have free shipping! --dim
\_ Post Tool. |
| 2002/2/28-3/1 [Recreation/House] UID:24000 Activity:moderate |
2/28 Man, my aeron chair is sweeeeet. Glad management thought smart
this time. They really get it.
\_ I tried out someone else's aeron. I didn't get it. What's the
big deal? Is this a chair-label-penis thing?
\_ You tried it by yourself, didn't you? Try it again with a hot
chick alone and you'll get it. :-)
\_ "Hot chick alone"? Does that mean without me or the chair?
Besides, try any chair with a hot chick and it's good.
\_ Ok... so it *is* just a chair-label-penis thing. |
| 2001/10/22 [Recreation/House] UID:22793 Activity:high |
10/22 Anybody plant orchids? I have one and the roots keep growing
upward and sticking out of the pot from above. Is this normal?
Usually a plant's roots grow downward and out through the drain holes
if it's rootbound. But this orchid is different. Thanks.
\_ I have a potted orchid that I bought at that flower stand on
Telegraph and Haste. One or two of the roots are growing up
over the pot (its planted in these woodchip things) and it
seems to be doing fine. The flower guy said this was normal.
\_ Most orchids are epiphytic, which means that their roots like
exposure to air rather than soil. In nature, they are often found
growing on the trunks of tall trees. The behavior you describe is
normal. Orchids aren't hard to grow, but don't treat them like
you would any other plant. Check out http://www.orchidweb.com for
more info. --dim |
| 2001/8/2 [Recreation/House] UID:21989 Activity:moderate |
8/2 I'm trying to do a crappy home movie for my brother as a gag gift
and I'm looking for some sort of long, burning, fuse wire. It needs to
burn hot enough to light a match at the end, but cool enough not
to singe carpet or cheap wooden furniture (excessively). motd points
to whoever can name this product, tell me where I can get it, and how
much it'll set me back. thanks.
\_ Primacord |
| 2001/7/22 [Recreation/House] UID:21899 Activity:moderate |
7/21 Where can one browse and buy online furniture that is
industry strength and really heavy duty? - Ikea's not going
to cut it.
\_ You don't mention what type of furniture you're looking for.
My friends really like http://anthro.com for office/computer desks.
In general, I agree with you, a lot of Ikea's design and
construction is not just cheap, it's dumb.
\_ aah sorry. looking for conference-room type furniture.
Couches. 2-Seats maybe. Chairs. budget is around $4K.
\_ leather, fabric? ...
\_ leather sounds more durable, but whatever is really
more durable/cleanable - rubber ideally..
\_ Rubber couches? What kind of place do you work at?
\_ industry-strength furniture? What's the difference between
regular and that?? for what purpose would you need
"industry-strength"? |
| 2001/5/6-7 [Recreation/House, Recreation/Food] UID:21179 Activity:insanely high |
5/5 TC Garden is:
good:
bad: .
four syllables: ...
worse than this:
dog shit: .
edible: ..
http://www.wickedweasel.com/files3/sisters/sis005.jpg
\_ what is TC Garden?
\_ Chinese restaurant in the food court next to Etcheverry
\_ so that's a thumb's up then?
\_ Besides a rude thumbs up comment which I wont make, all i can
say is that there's no really good chinese restaurants in Berk. |
| 2001/3/19 [Recreation/House] UID:20840 Activity:nil |
3/19 http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~christos/turing.ps \_ romance from the dept chair |
| 2001/1/4 [Recreation/House] UID:20230 Activity:low |
1/3 http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/ap/20010102/us/monolith_mystery.html The monolith. \_ that's soooo yesterday's news. \_ http://www.bull-electrical.com/cannabis/cannabis_seeds.htm \_ for trevor. |
| 2000/11/29-30 [Recreation/House] UID:19944 Activity:high |
11/28 Where besides home depot can I get a new set of double-glazed
glass patio doors? (around here) --PeterM
\_ what's wrong with home depot?
\_ The problem with home Depot is they already screwed the
order up in detail, while giving a stupid run-around and
lying about the problems. Need another source. --PeterM
\_ it's a shitty hardware store, for one thing.
Try Orchard Supply Hardware. -tom
\_ yeah, just take his word for it.
\_ For a big greedy corporation, they aren't that bad...
They give back to the communities where they open stores,
and they practice equal-opportunity employment.
\_ Who doesn't practice or claim it practices EOE? Isn't that
required by law?
\_ oh yeah... uh... I guess you're right. Well I guess they
like exceed the minimum requirements. or something.
\_ Besides the fact that they employ morons and drive good
hardware stores out of business, they just don't have
a good selection of hardware. Everything is pre-packaged,
it's a terrible place to go if you actually have
problems to solve. -tom
\_and tom has had more than an average share of
problems, so he's an authority on this. |
| 2000/11/20-21 [Computer/SW/Languages/Java, Recreation/House] UID:19858 Activity:nil |
11/20 What is resin (relating to java servlets not plants)? Is it a competitor
of weblogic / Dynamo? Is it good/bad? Inquiring minds want to know.
\_ resin in the stuff left over in the bowl. If you are desperate
you can sometimes get a hit off of it.
\_ I know stoners aren't the brightest lot but which part of
"not plants" did you not understand?
\_ He's talking about hash, not plants.
\_ crappy software, if you're going to use it for large scale
production deployment, you might want to look elsewhere. |
| 2000/9/26 [Academia/Berkeley, Recreation/House] UID:19324 Activity:nil |
9/25 Does anyone have recommendations for an indoor garden shop in the
area? I am looking for HPS lighting, and possibly a hydroponic
system. I went to the place on university ("Berkeley Indoor
Garden Center" ?), and they seemed overpriced.
\_ headshop |
| 2000/9/21-22 [Recreation/House] UID:19300 Activity:insanely high |
9/21 want some greens to cover the open soil in back yard. any
recommendation? want something that's low in maintainence and
less water. lawn is too costly.
\_ OBASTROTURF. (Or rioanjii type of rock garden)
\-ice plant --psb
\_ creeping thyme -tom
\_ isotoma, aka blue star creeper for more of a "mossy" look.
psb's and tom's recommendations are good, too. plus
gazenias work well. --chris
\_ Green cement.
\_ I'd add in a japanese garden. Stones and bamboo and maple. Once
you put it in, it's very low maintanance. Especially if you use
a lot of stone. Plus it increases the value of your house.
\_ If you do bamboo, keep the bamboo in a pot when you plant it.
Bamboo is a very invasive plant. I have a Japanese style garden,
I left out the bamboo. --chris
\_ bamboo will grow right through a pot.
\_ Weed
\_ lawn is too costly? It's $7/roll of sod.
\_ AstroTurf(TM)
\_ cement, then covered with green paint.
\_ lawncrete!
\_ thanks! didn't know there were so many these so called "ground
cover" thingy.. going to get them this weekend.
\_ I think the csua needs to hit bottom. |
| 2000/9/12-14 [Reference/RealEstate, Recreation/House] UID:19230 Activity:kinda low |
9/12 Gardening question: in general, if you plant a tree's fruit will the
fruit grow? Or is there some special pollination process with a male
tree that must happen? Or does this totally depend on the species
of the tree? There are some ginkgo biloba trees with fruits near
my house, I'm thinking of taking some of its fruits.
\_The answer is; you must buy a ginko tree from a store. First
of all, Ginko trees are not angiosperms...they do not have fruit. What
looks like fruit is really a strange sort of cone/seed structure that
is only found in ginko trees today, (all the rest that had this feature
died out over 10,000 years ago.) And the odds are the seed inside the
structure is not fertilized. It's true that ginko trees are monoicious.
each tree has only male parts or female parts. (yes, female trees
stink.) Therefore, unless there is a grove of male trees near,
(and there better be alot because these trees are wind
pollinated,) the seed is not fertalized and cannot grow into a
mature plant.
\_ Stop it. Stop it right now with this filthy discussion.
Such sexually perverse questions do not belong on the MOTD.
In general, if you plant a tree's "fruit" it will not
grow. You must plant the seed...this may seem picky, but take the case
of bananas sold in stores; they have no seeds in them so planting
one will not grow a banana tree. further more there are certain
things that must happen to some seed for them to sprout, such as
soaking them, freezing them, or passing them through a fruitbat's
gut.(yes, there are a few I can think of that require this).
Answer; it totally depends on the species of tree.
-sofia (Bio Major)
\_ Ginkos are special cases, as each ginko tree is only male or
female. Most plants are hermaphrodites and have both male and
female parts, stamens and pistels. Some of those can self
pollenate, some can't. However, there is generally enough
pollen in the air to pollenate just about anything you will
grow.
\_ so the answer is? What do I have to do grow a ginkgo tree from
its fruit? Take the fruit and do what with the male tree? I
don't see any pollen-looking thingies on the male trees.
\_ You shove it up the male tree's ass.
\_ But he/she was talking about planting the fruit, which already
contains the seeds which come after pollination, right?
\_ err, sorry, yah. Seeds are what create plants. They
are pollenated already. Of course you are probably not gonna
get a tree unless you pay some attention to how and when you
should plant the thing, and you may jsut want to get a
plant from a nursery or read about cuttings. Some trees
do cuttings really well and those tend to give you a nice
year's head start.
\_ Try not to plant a female tree. The fruits stink.
\_ this generalizes well.
\_ luck of the draw with seeds |
| 2000/6/13-14 [Science/Space, Recreation/House] UID:18455 Activity:high |
6/13 Probably a longshot, but I'll ask anyway. Anybody know of a system
for reclaiming "greywater" (kitchen/bathroom sink water) for use in
watering lawns and plants? I searched the web and all I could find
was big greywater treatment plants. I was thinking of something
small for an single house to use.
\_ get a bucket. Fill from sink. Pour on lawn. Repeat as necessary.
\_ "That's not greywater."
\_ If you want whitewater, put the bucket under a Soda users desk.
\_ That's pretty disgusting. Don't feed anyone from your garden.
\_ Dumbass. Ever think where any given molecule in your body
comes from? I'll guarantee you that 99.99% are at least 10-th
generation manure
\_ I'm not concerned with where a particular molecule was 2
billion years ago. A molecule, by it's nature is not
filthy or diseased. Would you care to drink my piss? I'm
sure some of those molecules come from the purist spring
waters. You're pretty much just an idiot. I feel for you.
\_ http://www.compostingtoilet.org
http://oasisdesign.net
if you're serious about this stuff
i know some hippie households that have implemented a greywater
system to water their plants with water from the washing machine
and bathtub - danh |
| 2000/5/22-24 [Recreation/House] UID:18312 Activity:high |
5/22 I'm trying to decide whether to put in tile on the kitchen floor.
I've been told by many people that hard tile can be bad for your legs
and back if you stand on it a lot. Nobody has given me a decent answer
of why that is the case. The total weight one puts on the floor is the
same regardless of what surface it is. Anybody know why? Thanks.
-- new homeowner
\__ A tile floor is harder than a linoleum floor, which means that
there is less "give" when you step on it. This means that the pressure
exerted on your feet in response to you stepping on the floor is
greater because the original force exerted on the floor is not
dissipated as much. Over time this would mean greater wear and tear
on your feet, legs, and back. This is, of course, assuming that you
actually walk across your floor while you're standing on it.
\_ Would you rather sleep with your head on a pillow or a cement block?
same total weight, right?
\_ You should cover your kitchen floor with pillows.
Preferably big fluffy soft pillows that look like clouds.
Soft on your feet, wont chip, and not as slippery.
\_ Ridiculous. The reason for not using tile in your kitchen is that
spills will stain the grout and make your floor look like crap.
You'll never get the stains out. Don't do it. --knows these things
\_ Grout sealers do a good job of preventing this; that's what
they use on tiled counter-tops at least. (Or use black grout,
that's what I've got.) -- Marco
\_ Polo!
\_ They're not perfect and don't last forever anyway. The
grout is going to stain within 2 years, easy.
\_ Tiles are more slippery when wet. Bad if you have kids.
\_ Here we go with kids again....
\_ But mopping up blood is a snap with tiles!
\_ Why is that bad for kids? There'll be less stupid kids after
a few slips. It's Darwin all over again.
\_ Ceramic tiles will chip and show the clay color under the pretty
glazed pattern if you drop canned foods or glassware
on it. Likely to happen if you have kids or if you are not
careful.
\_ as opposed to linoleum, where you drop something sharp, get
a gouge in it, and have a hole there until you redo the
ENTIRE FLOOR.
\_ hardwood with good finish or high quality linoleum.
\_ tile is just high maintenance. if you like the look, go for it,
just as long as you know it's extra work.
\_ Is this one reason why chinise people wear slippers?
\_ No. They're too poor to buy $250 Nike's, dumbshit.
\_ if you've ever checked the condition of your floor, you might
notice how dirty it is given the fact that most people don't
mop or scrub their floors on a daily basis. Lots of people
don't like to get this dirt on their feet, and it's
nothing particular to Chinese people, so get a clue.
\_ I think it's mainly because people generally do not have
central heating in places like Taiwan, and the floor is
pretty cold without slippers or carpets. This resulted
in the habit of wearing slippers.
\_ What kind of tile? Ceramic? Mediterranean pavers?
\_ The kind that makes your kitchen look like a bathroom in
a gas station in a bad part of town. |
| 2000/1/24-25 [Recreation/House] UID:17308 Activity:moderate |
1/24 Where do I get big rolls of carpet padding cheaply? - danh
\_ People's park
\_ From a house still under construction.
\_ I've got some spare padding here in my cell... -=Aubie |
| 1999/11/30-12/1 [Finance/Banking, Recreation/House, Computer/HW/Drives] UID:16974 Activity:kinda low |
11/30 Hi, I'm looking for a reference CD-ROM on trees and plants. I went
to a couple of Frys stores and they didn't seem to have it. I'm
wondering if encyclopedia CD-ROMs have that info. Stuff like
temperature and water requirements for trees and plants, what kind of
soil they need, etc. Thanks.
\_ http://www.sunset.com/Books/cdroms/WesternGardenCD.html (Sunset
Magazine's _Western Garden Book_ on CD-ROM.) -- kahogan
\_ Thanks a lot kahogan! |
| 1999/1/25-26 [Recreation/House] UID:15288 Activity:moderate |
1/25 I have a garage door 'clicker' that I bought a long time
ago. It has 10 switches inside. It recently died on
me (new batteries didn't help). I went back to Home
Depot to buy a replacement, but they only had ones that
were either 9 switch or 12 switch openers. I also went
to Sears and all they had were 9 switch ones. Before I
blow $20-30 on one, does anybody know if a 12 switch
garage opener will work? Or anybody know where I can buy
the older 10 switch clicker garage door openers?
\_ Sigh... Has no one any common sense? Call the people who built
your garage door opener and ask them how to get a replacement
for your model. The phone number and model should be on the motor
hanging from the ceiling in your garage. |
| 1998/7/6-7 [Recreation/Dating, Recreation/House] UID:14291 Activity:high |
7/6 how do you get dried hot wax out of carpet? - danh
\_ if its died, why's it still hot?
\_ Did you try boiling water & soap? (Melt it out and have a
surfactant or detergent to clean it out once it is melted?)
\_ Put a paper towel on top of the spot where the wax is and
then put a hot iron on top of the paper towel. The iron
will melt the wax and the paper towel will absorb the melted
wax. -chrchan
\_ This works but you'd best fold-over the towel a few times.
\_ You might as well burn the rest of the house down while
you're at it.
\_ You might want to get neutered so you don't reproduce by
accident or something you fuckin cretin.
\_ try hot sex on the carpet
\_ but that creates different mess problems.
\_ how do you know the wax wasn't from hot sex in the first
place?
\_ sploog is much harder to clean up than hot wax.
\_ No it's not... just pretend it's not there and hope it
goes away
\_ I still think it's from hot sex with a candle.
\_ With a lit candle? How would it stay lit
while you're getting fucked with it?
\_ what do your housemates do for a living again danh?
\_ banshee is a professional masochist, he was probably screaming
like one when his master poured hot wax onto him.
|_ what are the qualifications for professional status ?
\_ being paid for it. |
| 1998/1/27-28 [Computer/SW/Languages/Misc, Recreation/House] UID:13571 Activity:kinda low |
1/26 SELLING: sofa, sofa with a queen sleeper, study desk,
bookshelf/nightstand, twin bed frame, kitchen table,
three chairs, table/desk lamp, two armchairs, etagere.
All prices are negotiable. Call 848-6509 or e-mail innami. -innami
\_sofa with a sleeper is gone, the rest is available -innami |
| 11/23 |